11 Interesting facts you probably don’t know about Jack Daniels

1 min

1
Jack Daniel wasn't the founder's real name

Jack Daniel was a real guy, but that wasn’t his real name. Jasper Newton Daniel was named for two Revolutionary War heroes, but friends and family called him Jack. Our advice: don’t order a "Jasper Newton Daniel on the rocks" unless you want some serious eye-rolls from your bartender, and probably a lousy pour for it.

2
He was a teenager when he was distilling... probably

Again, there is ambiguity to Jack Daniel’s life. While some reports claim he was born in 1850, making him 13 when he bought the distillery from Call and 16 when he registered it, other reports claim his mother died in 1847. That would make it very hard for her to have had Daniel. Other dates given are September 5th, 1856, and January of 1849. Whatever the case, he was a young man when he bought and registered the Jack Daniel’s distillery.

3
No one seems to know what the number seven stands for

When you order Jack at most bars, chances are you’re getting a shot of Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7. For about as long as it has been bottled, Jack Daniel’s whiskey has borne the number seven, and to this day there is still argument about it. The most popular theory is that his distillery was registered as number seven by the government, though this contradicts our first fact. Others have suggested that it represents his seven lovers (Daniel was never married). Whatever the case, many claim to know for sure, but it’s still a mystery.

4
Employees get free bottle along with paycheck

Company gives away a free bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey to its employees on the last Friday of every single month. Uh...Jack Daniels."No one misses that day of work!" Jeff Norman, Master Taster at the distillery said recently in this Total Wine interview.Executives at the company, which was founded in 1871 and maintains its reputation as one of the top bourbon makers in the world, are proud of their product and proud of their employees. And so...why not give them this perk.

5
It was Frank Sinatra's favorite whiskey

Dean Martin once sang, "I love Vegas like Sinatra loves Jack Daniel's." It's no urban myth: Frank Sinatra loved the Tennessee whiskey so much he was buried with a bottle of it, along with a Zippo lighter, a pack of Camel cigarettes, and 10 dimes. Jack Daniel’s released the Sinatra Special as well as the Century. In January, it did the same for Motörhead singer Lemmy Kilmister, who reportedly drank a bottle a day for 30 years.

6
You can buy your own barrel

It’s not cheap, but if you want your very own single barrel, you can make your way to the distillery and taste straight from them. You can then pick your favorite and buy the entire barrel. If you can’t make it to Tennessee, you can still call or email, let them know your taste preferences, and have them pick one out for you.

7
It's made in a dry county

That’s right: the best-selling American whiskey is made in an area where it cannot be sold. Lynchburg in Moore County has been a dry city since Prohibition, even after repeal. While you can tour the facility and taste the whiskeys (only on the "enhanced tour"), you can't buy Jack Daniel's where it’s made.

8
It's the best-selling American spirit

In 2014, Jack Daniel's sold almost $3 billion worth of whiskey. Seeing as the average bottle is around $20, that’s 150 million bottles of Jack Daniel's, give or take.

9
Jack Daniel's is the oldest registered distillery in the US

Is Jack Daniel's the oldest distillery in the US? Yes and no. Maker's Mark claims it's the oldest, and Laird’s Applejack has been around since the Revolutionary War. Plenty of older distilleries were pumping out rum before whiskey became popular. But Jack lays claim to being the oldest registered distillery, having registered in 1866 (probably) by a teenage Jack Daniel... he was real

10
It's Tennessee whiskey... and that's very specific

Jack Daniel's is distilled in a process that gives it the title of a Tennessee whiskey, a term recognized by the federal government in 1941, almost 80 years after Daniel started distilling the stuff. The process is different from other American whiskeys in that the spirit is filtered through layers of sugar-maple charcoal. At the distillery, visitors might see huge piles of maple wood being burned on “ricks.” The wood falls into itself as it is burned, making charcoal. The whiskey is then filtered through it over a period of four days, then through white wool to remove any of the charcoal.

11
There are many types of Jack Daniel's

While the flagship Old No. 7 is the most popular and well-known type of Jack, there are other varieties as well. The Gentleman Jack is double filtered, compared to the single-filtered No. 7; the single barrel is, well, from a single barrel, but is also stronger at 94 proof (compared to the usual 80 proof); and the honey and cinnamon whiskeys are blended with honey liqueur and cinnamon liqueur, respectively. The flavored Jacks are at a lower proof, due to blending. There are also many specials and limited-edition bottles, including the Sinatra Century, honoring the late singer on his 100th birthday because...